COVID-19 testing has undergone a quick evolution since its inception last year. While tests were once in short supply, most major hospitals and health clinics possess at least one form of COVID-19 testing.
Expertise and COVID-19 Testing
Although there are home tests available to detect COVID-19, these tests are not administered with the same level of expertise found in professional clinics and may be at greater risk of producing a false result. When going in for a COVID-19 test, you want to make sure you are receiving the most accurate information possible. At Rapid Care, we provide that level of expertise.
Conducting Tests Correctly
The procedure for conducting COVID-19 tests involves either gathering a blood sample, collecting a mucus sample, or swabbing the nose. The availability of different tests will determine the type of gathering technique that is used. While companies have put together home kits for convenience, these tests do not guarantee that tests will be conducted correctly.
Appropriately Handling Materials
Testing materials can easily be contaminated and mismanaged, which can also lead to false positives or negatives. Our testing site is managed by medical professionals to make sure that test results are accurate and are not at risk of being in close contact with potentially contaminated or otherwise damaging materials.
Supplying All Necessary Information
Before conducting a test, our staff will make sure that community testing is conducted in accordance with local statutes and suggestions. We will evaluate the presence of symptoms of COVID-19 prior to tests, and we will walk patients through the testing process.
At our practice, we provide necessary materials and information for people who have tested positive for COVID-19, and will also take patients through the next steps should they test negative despite the presence of symptoms.
How Accurate Are COVID-19 Tests?
Although the health care response to the coronavirus has improved in vast strides in the past year, it should be noted that testing is still subject to the same issues common to other medical tests. Some testing inaccuracies are due to user error, but some are also due to limitations in technology. To determine which test is best for you, we will look at the three types of tests currently in use.
Rapid Testing
Rapid testing was developed as a way to preserve public health. Rapid testing allowed people to receive an immediate answer for their symptoms, and more effectively passed through the population that needed to quarantine, versus the population that did not. Nevertheless, the quick production of these tests and the rapid technology do have their limits, and rapid tests are among those most likely to produce a false positive or negative.
Long-Form Diagnostic Testing
Long-form diagnostic testing is also called PCR testing, or Polymerase Chain Reaction testing. This test has become the preferred avenue for most health practitioners, as it offers the most reliable results. We offer the RT-PCR test which determines whether you are ill at the time of the test, though it can also detect remaining vestiges of the virus after an infection has concluded.
Antibody Testing
Antibody testing is conducted to determine an individual’s immunity to the virus causing COVID-19. Antibody testing is most often used not to identify an active infection, but to identify the presence of a previous infection with the virus.
The Rapid Care Difference
At Rapid Care, we value accuracy and professionalism, and we bring those values to our COVID-19 testing sites in Memphis and Germantown. Reach out to our office today for a COVID-19 testing experience that puts you at ease and in good hands.
